


The Liberation of Kate Marsh

by Ipomia



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/F, Forgiveness, Light-Hearted, Makeover, Self-Discovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:13:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26048566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ipomia/pseuds/Ipomia
Summary: When Kate gets a letter letting her know her mother and aunt are coming to check in on her for the weekend, it incites a spark of rebellion.  She comes up with a plan to assert her independance. It wasn't a very good plan, but little did she suspect just how much it would spiral out of control. Even less would she have guessed just how much she would enjoy her trip down the chaotic rabbit hole.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price, Victoria Chase/Kate Marsh
Comments: 82
Kudos: 65





	1. Punk Rock Kate

It all started with a letter that I got mere days after the Christmas break. Because my mother and her sister were just that old-fashioned, an email or phone call wouldn't do. They were coming to Blackwell for a couple of days to visit me. To make sure I was still living a devout, Christian life while not under their hawk-like watch, no doubt. It almost certainly was due to my newfound confidence to stand up and defend myself, my point of view, and my life choices.

Granted, my choices had not all been wonderful. I still thank the Lord every single day for giving Max the power and kindness to save me from myself that day on the dorm roof. But still, I was a wonderful, imperfect human, and I should be allowed to make mistakes. Something neither my mother nor aunt seemed to understand.

That thought triggered an idea in my head. A little spark that ignited an inferno. I was not the woman they wanted me to be, and I never would be. I have experienced the depths of hell and bonafide miracles. I lived down the hall from a miracle! I was my own person, a full-grown woman, and it was not their place to judge how I lived.

Tossing the letter out with the rest of the rubbish, I headed for that miracle's room. My knuckles lightly rapped the cheap, thin door.

"J-just a sec!" A breathless reply came from the other side. Several long moments later, and Max stuck her head out into the hall, her hair messy and her face a little flushed. Though her expression exuded annoyance, it greatly softened as her blue eyes met mine. She smiled. "H-hey, Kate."

"Can I come in?" I asked, putting on my best smile.

Max disappeared into her room, only to reappear a moment later with a nod. The door opened and Max swung her arm in an inviting motion. "Of course, Kate."

I stepped inside to find Chloe sitting on Max's bed, looking just a bit miffed. At me. I gave her a sheepish smile as Max sat next to her on the bed. "You two are really getting better at… ah, subterfuge?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow as Max's head tilted just a bit. "What?" Max asked.

Chloe grinned, leaning over and throwing an arm around Max's shoulder. "She means she didn't realize I was here and that we were getting hot and heavy." I blushed as Chloe nuzzled Max's neck, her lips glued there.

"Yes… well," I said, trying to ignore Max's gasps and giggles. "I actually wanted to ask a favor. From both of you."

"Come on, Chloe," Max chided, prying Chloe away from herself.

Chloe gave a groan as she sat back up, though she kept Max tight in her arms. "What'dya need, Kate?"

"Well, I just got a letter from my mother and aunt. They're coming to visit for a couple of days this weekend," I said, my gaze falling to my lap.

"Oh, shit," Max said, her eyes growing wide. "You gonna be okay?"

I gave a firm, resolute nod. "Yes. I will be."

"That's… good?" Max replied.

"Right, well, I was thinking that it was time I stood up for myself. To show them that I'm my own person and that I can make my own decisions," I said, my false bravado melting into true confidence. "So… I was thinking of playing a little prank on them."

"Okay, now I'm on board," Chloe said, releasing Max and leaning toward me with a playful smirk. "What did you have in mind?"

I sat back just a bit. Chloe's manic stare was a little much. "I was thinking of something that might really set them off, and well, the first thing that came to mind was… you."

Chloe scratched at her blue locks, freshly dyed so that she didn't have any roots showing. Well, maybe just a bit at the tippy top. "I, uh, don't really follow."

Max rolled her eyes. "I think Kate wants a pretend girlfriend."

Chloe blinked a couple of times before she smiled. "Well, I gotta say, Kate's got great taste."

Max smirked, leaning back into Chloe. "I think Kate had you in mind for… uh, more superficial reasons."

Rising heat in my chest spread to my cheeks. "It's not that I don't think you're a wonderful person, you absolutely are. But… well, my mother and aunt are quite… let's say… old-fashioned."

Chloe frowned, withdrawing her arm from around Max to cross her arms over her chest. "So you just want someone you think your parents will flip out over?"

"My mother and her sister. And, well, yes," I said. Sensing that I may have accidentally offended Chloe, I gave her an apologetic smile. "Not to mention anyone would be lucky to date you. You're smart and funny and so protective."

Chloe kept glaring at me. Then, a small tug of a lip turned up a smirk. "I'm game, if Max is okay with it."

When Chloe looked over at her girlfriend, Max gave her a nod. "Everything stays above the waist, though," Max ordered.

Chloe laughed, full and unrestrained. "This is Kate, pretty sure she won't even be able to go through with a kiss."

"Well, I think we might need to do at least that much to sell the story," I said, squirming a bit in my seat as my vision locked onto Chloe's lips. "I… I don't think I can do like… tongue… stuff, though."

"I kinda dig confident Kate," Chloe remarked. "So what else have you got planned?"

I stared back at Chloe, mind blank. "What else?"

Chloe chuckled. "You're just gonna flaunt me. That's it?"

"Do you think I should do something different? I mean… I'm not just trying to antagonize them. I just… I need them to understand that I'm free to make my own decisions, even if they're terrible mistakes." I sighed, though a small smile formed on my lips. "Although, I do admit… Maybe I do want to antagonize them. Just a little."

Leaning forward, Chloe got up to her feet, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Come on, Kate. I've got some ideas."

* * *

The trip back to my room was short. Both Max and Chloe came with me. Max took a seat on my couch while Chloe raided my closet. "Come on, Kate. This is your entire wardrobe?" If I didn't know better, I'd have said she was angry at my clothes as she snapped through them. Okay, there was no knowing better. Chloe was a little angry at my clothes.

"All right, we'll need to raid my closet to find some shit that'll fit you," Chloe said as she whirled around to face me. "Unless you wanna treat Max and me to a trip to the strip mall."

It started to click. "S-so you want me to dress up, too? I mean, that sounds like a great idea, but…" I shrugged before glancing over at Max. My silent pleas for help went unnoticed. As best I could tell, that silly smile on her face meant that she was completely on board with Chloe. "This might be a little out of my comfort zone?"

Max raised an eyebrow. "The possibility of you kissing my girlfriend is inside your comfort zone, but dressing up in some punk clothing is a step too far?"

The heat returned to my face and I knew I had to be blushing like crazy. "I-I-I… that's—!"

I felt Chloe throw her arm over my shoulder as she leaned against me. Her words came with a predatory purr, right in my ear, "Hmmm… sounds to me like our little church mouse has some gay fantasies she'd like to indulge."

Pushing Chloe away, I had to try to fan my face with my hands to quell the burning sensation bursting across my cheeks and ears. "That-that-that's not—!"

Chloe just laughed, and Max did, too. "I'm just teasing ya, Kate," Chloe said through her laughter. "But seriously, if you're going far enough to have a girlfriend, a costume is nothing."

"Oh!" Max stood up with a clap of her hands. "We should do Kate's hair, too!"

My hands went up to my messy bun. "M-my hair?" I asked, unable to hide the panic in my voice.

"Fuck, yes!" Chloe agreed. "Come on, let your hair down!"

I guess that, in and of itself, wasn't too much of a bother. But with the way these two were going, it was going to lead places. Uncomfortable, embarrassing, exciting places. My fingers pressed into my hair, fumbling around for the clip. Just as my hair slipped free, the door to my room burst open.

"The fuck is all the commotion?" Victoria asked as she sauntered into my room like it was her own. The annoyance on her face morphed into disgust as she took sight of Chloe. Shutting the door behind her, Victoria turned her gaze back to me and put on a fake sympathetic look. "Aww, Katie, I know you like taking in strays, but I'm afraid there's no saving this one. It has so many nasty things wrong with it. It's terminal."

"Fuck you, bitch," Chloe ineloquently bit back, flipping her the bird.

"Uh, come in. Have a seat," Max snarked at Victoria.

Fearing that things might get nasty, I tried my best to diffuse the situation. "H-hi, Victoria. I'm sorry if we were being loud. Max and Chloe were just helping me with… um, well, it's a sort of makeover."

Victoria's eyes seemed to pierce right through me as she looked me over from head to toe. "A makeover?" Her voice sounded genuinely interested, but her gaze felt like that of a predator sizing up its next meal.

"Kate's mother and aunt are coming for a visit in a few days," Max explained. "So Kate wanted to try a… bold, new look to show her independence."

Victoria smiled. It sent a chill through to my heart. "I like the hair out of the bun, but just what was the plan?" She walked up, running her fingers through my tangled locks. "It's long enough that we have a lot of options. You know, Courtney actually does a fantastic job with hair—not that she's qualified to touch mine."

"Uh-umm, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with actually cutting it," I stammered out. Even Max joined in, in her own way. The sound of her camera's shutter caught me off-guard. She just stole a picture of me with Chloe and Victoria manhandling my hair.

"How about dyeing it?" Chloe asked. "I think you'd look good in blue."

"Tch," Victoria retorted, tugging a little too hard on my hair. "It wouldn't do for her eyes." For a short moment, I actually felt relieved. Victoria was all about high-fashion, so of course, she'd be more reasonable. "Now, pink on the other hand…"

A little "Eep!" escaped my lips as those hopes were dashed.

I heard Max chuckle. "You could just compromise and do purple."

Both Chloe and Victoria voiced their protest in unison.

"That'd look fucking awful!"

"That's worse than blue!"

Victoria and Chloe shared a glance and nodded in what I hoped was some sort of truce. "Okay. We need to work on the style, then we can worry about the color," Victoria said, continuing to primp my hair.

"You got something in mind?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"N-no cutting!" I reminded them.

Finally releasing my hair, Victoria took a step back and considered me for a long moment. "I think we may need a bit of assistance on this one." She whipped out her phone and started texting.

I was so distracted by her, I didn't notice that Chloe had also left my side until I fell back into my desk chair. Chloe must've dragged it over to the middle of the room for me to sit. "This angle is hella better," Chloe said as I felt a brush running through my hair.

"Oh! What about her nails?" Max asked, leaning in toward me.

My heart sped up again as Chloe took my hand in hers to examine my nails. From her position behind me, Chloe's chest pressed into my back and shoulder as she leaned over me. Then, I felt a warmth in my other hand as Victoria knelt in front of me and held my other hand. "These are immaculate," Victoria said as her fingertips brushed over my nails.

Another click, and again I heard the rollers of Max's Polaroid camera.

"I-I was never allowed to paint them," I dumbly said, trying my very hardest to calm my heart and not spontaneously burst into flames. "Mother always said it was something that… um, wh-whor—ladies of the night did."

"I do not think three days is gonna be enough to fix your shitty vocabulary," Chloe remarked as she finally let my hand go. "I bet a nice, bright red would drive your mom nuts."

A little "hmmm," left Victoria's lips, its very tone refuting Chloe's idea. "We should settle on her hair color, first."

"I… I know I could always just dye my hair back, but… I mean, do we have to dye it?" I asked.

"You know, they make temporary dye you can just wash out," Max piped up again. "So if you don't like it, you can just wash your hair."

"And when you fucking love it, because it's gonna look hella awesome, we can dye it for real," Chloe added.

I calmed down, just a little bit at that. Something far less permanent certainly made me feel more at ease. "O-okay. We can do something with a temporary color."

Once again, my door burst open as Taylor and Courtney came in. Taylor had a big case she carried, and Courtney had an even bigger one. The duo looked a little surprised at Max and Chloe being here, but otherwise, they were looking really happy. The cat that got the canary happy. I kind of got the impression that I was the canary in that metaphor…

"Tori said you wanted a big makeover?" Taylor asked as she set her case down in front of me, looking me over, not unlike how Victoria did earlier.

"You know, Kate's got a great complexion, and her natural hair gives us a lot to work with," Courtney added. She circled around, setting up behind me and pushing Chloe off to my side. The brushing didn't stop, but it was suddenly much less rough. "What kind of look were you thinking of? I mean, anything's better than Bible Study Betty."

"The idea's to piss off her mom and aunt," Chloe said. "I'm gonna be her pretend girlfriend, so I was thinking total punk."

"The idea is to drive home the point that I am free and capable of making my own decisions and those decisions don't make me a sinner," I said.

Victoria took a couple of steps back, standing over Taylor as she stared at me. "Punk could work." In a million years, I thought those words would never leave Victoria's mouth. "If she's gonna play gay for the visit, maybe we should do rainbow nails?"

"I like it!" Taylor said as she fished around in her kit. "A rainbow on each nail, or each nail a different color?"

Victoria stood there analyzing me, holding her elbow with one hand, her other hand held her chin. "The presentation is to grab attention immediately," she said. "At a distance, a rainbow on each nail wouldn't be noticed as much."

"I can dig it," Taylor said. "So what five colors? Red, green, and blue are a must, but the in-between gives us several options and we only have five fingers."

"Options?" Victoria asked.

"Yellow, orange, purple, pink…" Taylor rattled off as she sorted through all kinds of different bottles.

A small smile tugged at Victoria's lips as a glint appeared in her eye. That glint kind of scared me. "How about we use red, yellow, green, and blue for the fingers, then have pink on the thumbnail with two interlocking female symbols in white? She is going to be playing the role of a punk lesbian."

Taylor shrank there in front of me, giving her head a meek, little shake. "It's a great idea, but that's a little out of my level of expertise. We'd have to go to a salon for that."

Victoria's smile slipped, but only for a second. Then, it actually grew as her eyes rose to meet mine. "Fancy a trip to the salon? My treat."

I squirmed there in my chair, earning myself a grumble from Courtney behind me, still playing with my hair. "I um… Thank you for the offer, but this is only going to be for the weekend. I'm going to be getting rid of all of this after Mother and Auntie leave. I'd hate to have you go through the trouble and expense just for that much…"

Victoria gave a scoff, but that smile didn't leave. She stepped by Taylor to put a hand on my shoulder. "A girl who's never even painted her nails? Come on, Katie. You're gonna love this, and when you decide you want to go to the salon and cut your hair and get it done properly, my offer stands." She stepped back, her smile morphing into an arrogant smirk. "You're gonna find out that taking charge of your look is more than just an appearance. You get to define who you are and how you want to be. Makeup and clothes don't make the woman, but damned if they don't give you power and confidence."

"You should be true to yourself, Kate," Max added. "Don't dress how your parents want to dress, or even how we want you to dress. You should try everything out and find a style that is uniquely you. If nothing else, it will help give you some sort of sense of control of your life."

"Well put, Hipster Dork," Victoria both complemented and insulted Max.

I gave a nod. Their words lifted my heart. I'd always been afraid to do anything like that to express myself. Shame and the threat of disappointment tethered me in the same clothes and hair I'd worn my whole life. This whole makeover thing might've been embarrassing and uncomfortable, but, it was fun, too. It really made me excited for the future in a way I hadn't been in a long time. "I… I think we should try it. Maybe next weekend?"

"It's a date, Kate," Victoria said with a wink.

"So… the nails?" Taylor asked.

"Why don't you do purple instead of pink on the thumbs?" I asked. Victoria looked a little surprised that I'd taken charge, but she gave me a little nod of approval.

Taylor took me by the wrist as she started to prepare my nails for their first paint. As she went to work, Chloe and Victoria circled around me to focus on what Courtney was doing behind me. The brushing had stopped some time ago, but I kept feeling tugs and pulls from my hair as she diligently worked.

"God, wouldn't you kill to have natural hair like this?" Courtney said from behind me.

"Pff, if you say so," Chloe remarked. "Bitchin' style though. Max, come check it out!"

"Do you even care what your hair looks like?" Victoria bit back. "Damn, it's really not fair. I can't grow my hair six inches without it splitting and looking like complete shit."

Max disappeared behind me, but I heard her camera going off again.

"Well, a bun is sort of her trademark, I just… decided to kick it up a notch," Courtney said.

"Or ten. We should totally dye that bun red," Chloe replied.

"And a nice, deep green for the rest," Victoria said. I might've wondered what force this side of heaven could possibly make those two agree, but that thought was drowned out by—

"G-green! You want to dye my hair green?"

"Look, Kate." Max leaned over me, careful not to jar me or the chair while Taylor worked. In her hand was a Polaroid of the back of my head. Instead of my normal, messy bun, Courtney made the hair flare out in layered spirals that looked like flower petals, making my bun look almost like a flower. She also left a lot of my hair free, so that, although kind of thin, I still had my hair spilling around my shoulders. If they did the bun in red and the rest of it green, my hair would look like a rose blooming in a verdant garden.

"My goodness! I-I think that would be a wonderful idea," I said, trying to imagine the different colors in the photograph.

Victoria held up her keys. "So, red or pink?"

I fought the urge to squirm while Courtney and Talor worked on me. "I guess, you would be the expert. Which do you think might look better?"

"We'll go with pink, then."

As Victoria turned to leave, Chloe shouted from behind me, "You only picked that one because I said red!"

Victoria raised her hand, flipping her middle finger at Chloe. "I'll be back in twenty."

After Victoria left, Taylor kept working on my nails and Courtney on my hair. Things settled into a comforting silence as I watched Taylor reverently apply each color so carefully to each nail. The colors struck me as bright and inviting. My heart brightly spoke that it was so pretty and I should've never waited this long to do this. But a terrible fear kept clutching at the corners of my mind. What if this was the devil's influence, trying to seize my pure heart with sinful desire?

"Relax, Kate," Taylor said after blowing a bit on the nails, her cool breath tickling my fingers.

"I-I'm trying."

"Sooo…" Chloe started, a mischievous grin on her face that told me my woes were far from over. "We've covered hair and nails. That still leaves two more things."

Her voice trailed off, leaving me to wonder just what was left. "I… I guess makeup?"

Chloe's grin grew wider. "Ding! Ding! Ding! But, that's gotta be Victoria doing that part. It is her area of expertise."

She was leading me. I didn't know where, but I got the feeling I wouldn't like it. "S-so what is your area of expertise?"

"Really, you gotta ask?" In a sweeping motion, she slid the back of her left hand down her right arm.

My heart squeezed in my chest. "I'm not getting a tattoo!"

"You don't have to get a permanent one. They do have some hella awesome temporary tattoos now," Chloe said, that smile never leaving her face.

"You're not helping, you know," Taylor quipped. "Courtney, stop fucking around and show Kate how to do her hair herself. That should keep her distracted enough."

I reminded myself to try to keep still as I found myself anxiously awaiting Victoria's return.


	2. Iron

In the end, it took Victoria the better part of an hour to get back with a few bottles of washable hair dye. That was fine because it took another half an hour to figure out how to do that with my hair. The style might've been amazing, but there was no way I was going to spend all that time on my hair every morning.

After I got the hang of it, the group of five girls dragged me to the showers for the dyeing. The whole way, I just kept playing with my nails. I really liked them. It kind of scared me how much I liked it.

The process of dying my hair really didn't take that long. Getting my hair put back into its style did. Of course, the moment it was done, I heard Max's camera again. I didn't let it bother me. In fact, I barely heard it. I was too awestruck by what I saw.

The girl in the mirror looked almost like a stranger. I could see a bit of pink sticking up over my dark green hair. Though the most alien thing about the mirror was the face, and that bright smile beaming back at me.

"Oh my goodness! Look at me!" Like a toddler, I actually pressed a finger to the glass, pointing at myself.

"You look great," Max said, her hand giving my shoulder a squeeze. In her other hand, she held a picture capturing my profile. It was centered on me as a whole, not just my hair. The pink "flower" that was my bun looked so cute. And again I found my eyes drawn to my multicolored nails where my hand gripped the sink. Max even captured my excitement in the moment I first caught sight of my dyed hair.

"Just gotta fix those clothes to match the bold, new Kate," Chloe said.

"I still need to do her face," Victoria protested.

Chloe shook her head. "That shit can wait."

"It's fine, Chlo," Max said, her hand stroking Chloe's arm.

"It shouldn't take long." Victoria asserted. "Why don't you and your pet punk go have a quickie while you wait?"

I pouted as I pried myself away from the mirror. "Be nice," I chided.

Victoria just rolled her eyes. "Come on, Katie. We have work to do."

I soon found Victoria and myself alone in her room. She had me in her desk chair as she fumbled through what I thought was an excessive amount of products. Somehow, the silence in a room with just one other person was much more uncomfortable than a room with four others.

Finally, I just had to say something, "Thank you, Victoria. You and Courtney and Taylor. I didn't even ask you all to help me with this."

"You didn't have to, obviously," Victoria replied as she started selecting products. "We wanted to help you, Kate."

My next words came out, quiet and sincere, "I've already forgiven you."

"I know," Victoria said with a small sigh. "But you taught us a couple of important things, Kate. You helped make this school a better place."

That was no lie. Sure, Victoria still ruled Blackwell, even more now than she did before. She stood alone as the undisputed King and Queen of Blackwell since Nathan went to the hospital. Since then, there had been a shift not in the power itself, but how it was managed. Victoria still had that barbed tongue of hers that loved to tear at flesh and soul, but she no longer played her mind games and purposefully tried to cut people down. I'd even seen her use that razor tongue on anyone that tried to do that sort of thing to anyone else. She'd never said a word to me about it, but I knew that she made a vow to herself that she would never be responsible for pushing another person so close to death's door.

Victoria gave me a hand mirror after she had all of her selections lined up on the desk. "I always used to hate mirrors, you know. They always seemed to accentuate every flaw and weakness. But you taught me that the cold glass doesn't care, and it doesn't lie. I just hated seeing the weakness in myself."

I looked into the mirror, and I didn't hate myself. The woman before me was beautiful, no matter what makeup she wore or what colors she put on her hair and nails. Just a couple of months ago, all I saw in the mirror was a wretched sinner being punished by God for her weakness. Now, I knew that the devil had sent lost souls to test me. My strength alone was not enough to weather that test, but with Max's kindness and her divine gift, I was saved. I walked through Hell's fires and came out on the other side stronger than ever before. Tempered like iron.

"It made me want to expose everyone else's weaknesses. To tear at them and make them worse than me so I wouldn't hate that reflection so much." Victoria reached out, lowering the mirror so that her emerald eyes met mine. In them, I found a soft kindness I knew in my heart Victoria possessed. "Funny thing, though. It just made me hate it that much more." She gave me a soft, sad smile. "You taught me that the only way I could ever love that girl in the mirror was if I became stronger. Like you."

My cheeks warmed again. The first thing I wanted to say was that I wasn't strong. But I didn't really believe that anymore. This strength inside me was what made me want to do this whole crazy thing to begin with. "You _are_ strong, Victoria."

She gave a bitter chuckle, almost a snort, really. "You and Max keep saying things like that… and I might just start to believe you." Snatching up some of the things she'd set aside, she held out a few tubes of lipstick to me. "Now, let's start by deciding on some colors…"

True to Victoria's word, the ordeal didn't take too long, even with her showing me everything she was doing so that I'd know how to do it properly on my own. At first, she wanted to go crazy with the eye shadow. Apparently, that was something that was big in both stage makeup and punk fashion. But I didn't want something that looked so gaudy. We settled on a much more muted look, and I found myself really happy with the outcome.

We started on my lips. Since green and black weren't in Victoria's supply, we found a nice pink close to my natural color. It helped bring out my lips without overtly drawing attention to them. Or, at least that's what Victoria told me. She also helped me get the makeup on my eyes looking really great. It wasn't as subtle as the lipstick—the makeup there was obvious—but it did really bring out my eyes and helped balance some of the attention from my hair. Again, Victoria's words, not mine. She, somewhat angrily, pointed out that with my complexion, I didn't need a foundation, so we were finished after just that little bit.

As soon as we were done, Victoria went to get Max and Chloe while I toyed with what I might do differently when I do my own makeup. My thoughts didn't get very far.

"Jesus, fuck! Get out Vic!"

Okay, I would have to say more prayers for Chloe.

"I wasn't serious when I said for you two to—!" That was Victoria's voice. I tore myself away from the mirror and headed for the hall.

"Stop staring! Get out!" Even Max sounded pretty angry.

By the time I made it to the hall, a red-faced Victoria stood in the hall, her back leaning against Max's door. She balled her hands into fists as she turned her head back to scream toward the ceiling. "Who the fuck doesn't lock their door?"

"Fuck you, Victoria! I know you think you own the goddamn place, but why the fuck wouldn't you knock?"

Even more prayers for Chloe.

When Victoria lowered her head, she saw me and pretty much everyone else on the floor looking over at her. She stormed my way, muttering, "They'll be out in a few," as she passed. Then, she went into her room and slammed the door shut.

I briefly considered knocking on Max's door to try to figure out what all that was about, but quickly thought better of it. I had a pretty good idea of what it was, and that was not something I wanted to get involved with.

Before I could go to my room, however, I heard Dana squeal. "Oh my God! Is that you, Kate?" I turned and both Dana and Juliet were staring at me. I watched their eyes widen as they caught sight of my makeup. "You look amazing!"

They both had their phones out and were taking my picture before I could even gather my wits enough to respond. "Th-thank you," I said. Though I would agree with them, I couldn't smoosh down that bashful feeling as I lowered my head in a feeble attempt to hide from their attention. "Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney helped give me a makeover. I, uh, I still need some new outfits to go with the new look, though. Chloe and Max are going to help me with that."

"You have to let me see the finished product!" Juliet said, glancing between me and her phone, probably assessing her photos. "And maybe just a little interview?"

"An interview?" I laughed a bit. "I don't really think my makeover is really a newsworthy story."

Juliet chuckled a bit at that. "Let me tell you a little something, Kate. Reporters' careers are based on digging through dirt and danger to find bad people, doing bad things, for bad reasons. Editors eat it up and always want seconds. But us reporters, we love getting the opportunity to do a charming little fluff piece about good people, doing good things, for good reasons. It may not be newsworthy, Kate, but we need a break from the misery and shit every now and again."

Her explanation warmed my heart. Giving her my best smile, I nodded. "I hope to have everything together by tonight, but Chloe might have some other ideas."

"If you get it all together and you've got the time, stop by my dorm, okay? No matter how late," Juliet insisted.

"Sure thing, Juliet," I said.

Just as I turned back, I spied Max with her basket of toiletries dragging Chloe by the wrist into the showers. That only deepened my concerns about what happened a minute ago with Victoria. It was definitely a good idea to not think about it and never ever read into it or even bring it up again. I just decided to go back to my dorm and wait for those two to be ready.

* * *

The next thing I knew, I stood in Chloe's room while Chloe and Max held up various punk outfits to me, arguing over what would look best on me. If I were honest with myself, it was kind of fun. A bit embarrassing, but still so refreshing.

In the end, I agreed to try on just about everything. Chloe was both taller and thinner than me, making it hard to find anything that wasn't too long or tight. But we did manage to find a couple of outfits that fit me okay. It wasn't a trip to the mall with friends, an activity that I never had the opportunity to partake in, but I think I finally started to understand the appeal of it.

Most of the time I just felt silly in clothes that were nothing like what I was used to, but the whole time Max and Chloe gave me words of encouragement. It really made me feel better about myself and more comfortable with my body. Before, it had only been a matter of shame. Something to cover up and hide. But now, the earnest words of my friends showed me that there were things to beauty beyond lust and sin. I was a daughter of God—an attractive, young woman. I shouldn't be ashamed of that.

After an hour of dress up, we bundled up the few outfits that seemed to bring out the best in me so I could wear them for Mother and Auntie. Of course, both Chloe and Max insisted that I wear my favorite out with the two of them. It was a jean skirt that hugged my hips more tightly than anything I'd ever worn before. Because it didn't come down even to my knees, I insisted on wearing leggings, which Chloe actually had—a dark, opaque pair. Then again, this was her skirt, so I guess she did wear them at least every once in a while. She had me in a loose T-shirt tucked into the skirt with the sleeves cut out. From the sides, my bra was even visible. That I insisted on covering up with a thick, green and black flannel. Chloe rolled up the sleeves to just below my elbows, telling me it pulled the look together..

The only thing left from my previous style was my gold cross pendant. No matter how much the rest changed, I don't think I would ever let that go. I guess my shoes were still the same, too. Chloe complained that I needed a more appropriate pair, but none of the three of us had anything that both matched and fit me.

"That was unexpectedly fun," I said with a sigh as I sat in the chair by the bed. "I've never actually played dress-up like that before."

"Seriously? 'Played dress-up?'" Chloe poked fun at my word choice.

"Well, I mean, the only time I'd really gone clothes shopping was with my parents. And that was a… very different experience," I explained.

"So, what do you think of the new look?" Max asked, holding out a Polaroid.

I took the photo to find a picture of myself, a goofy smile on my face as Chloe rolled up one of the sleeves on the flannel. "I-I'm not really sure it's 'me,' but I still really like it. It hardly even looks like the same girl."

Chloe chuckled, her arm snaking around Max's waist as she pulled Max flush against her there on the bed. "Looks like Maximus here isn't the only one that needs some help coming out of her shell."

"Shush, you," Max replied with a throaty chuckle before leaning up and kissing Chloe. At first, I found it cute, but then they wrapped their arms around each other and the kiss got deeper. My cheeks grew warm as I tried my best to focus my attention elsewhere. After what seemed like an eternity, I purposefully coughed. The two of them parted rather quickly, red bands across their cheeks.

"S-sorry, Kate. Got a little carried away," Max said, hanging her head.

Chloe recovered from the embarrassment nearly instantly. That playful smile clutched my heart with a sense of dread. "I get the feeling Kate here is just feeling a little left out. How about we start practicing for when your parents show up?"

Chloe leaned forward to get up, but Max's hand on her shoulder kept her rooted to the bed. "Chloe," Max said, her voice firm, "it's one thing to play a role, it's another entirely to go flirting with other girls"

"C-come on, you know I'm just fucking with her," Chloe said, holding her hands up in a classic surrender pose.

"No, I see that look," Max pouted. "I'm not so sure this fake girlfriend thing is such a good idea."

"What? Come on, we're supposed to be helping Kate, right?" Chloe protested.

"But you've already helped me so much," I interjected. "I mean, look at me." A big, genuine smile graced my lips. "You've done so much. This was all about me showing Mother and Auntie that I am my own person capable of making my own way in life. This… today has achieved that in ways I'd never dreamed. I don't think I need a pretend girlfriend anymore. I just have to be… well, me."

While Max gave me a big smile, Chloe just groaned as she flopped backward onto her bed. "I fucked myself over there didn't I?"

Max rolled her eyes, though that smile never left. "I'm happy for you, Kate. And you know we'll support in any way we can."

"And I'll do the same. I promise," I replied.

"Does this mean we aren't going to the tattoo place, either?" Chloe said, still sprawled out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Poor thing," Max said, patting Chloe's thigh next to her. She looked back at me. "It's up to you, Kate."

I sighed before giving a little nod. "Today has been… exhilarating. So many things we've done were things I thought I'd never do. And it's been so fun! I think I've learned more about myself today than I have in my whole childhood."

Chloe popped back up. "So… Tattoo?"

I smiled. "Tattoo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the look is almost complete. Next time, a trip to the tattoo parlor for ink and forgiveness.


	3. Ink

Chloe drove us to a part of town I'd never seen before. It was past the strip mall I'd sometimes visit and to a place with run-down buildings. Half seemed abandoned, the other half seemed to be struggling businesses with the occasional house or apartment breaking up the storefronts. Finally, the truck pulled to the side of the road in front of a building. The sign read: _Pins and Needles_.

That was… what was the opposite of comforting?

The inside surprised me. Not only was it well-lit, but it also had a clean smell that reminded me a little of a hospital. There were a couple of doors off to the side. From behind one, a buzzing noise sounded. I suspected that those were the rooms where people actually got their tattoos. To the front was a glass counter with a register. Inside the glass was a massive assortment of jewelry. It dawned on me that this place must also do piercings as well as tattoos.

"Over here," Chloe said as she led me to the area opposite the private rooms. The wall there was covered in designs I could only assume were various tattoos people could get. "Check it out." Instead of focusing on the massive wall of art, Chloe went to the counter where several binders were. She opened the first one, flipping through for several moments. Max and I picked up a different one, and we found it full of pictures of people's tattoos. "Here it is!"

Max and I leaned over to find Chloe pointing at a picture of a sleeve tattoo. Her tattoo. At first, I thought it was the design she picked, but then it dawned on me that this _was_ Chloe's arm in the picture. Max scoffed. "Yeah, even if Kate wanted a sleeve, I don't think she'd want the exact same thing as you."

"You are such a killjoy," Chloe said, her tone playful as she wrapped her arms around Max. "You're just jealous of how badass my ink is." As Chloe nuzzled Max's neck, I decided it would be best for me to go back to perusing the tattoos. The book that Chloe was going through seemed to all be sleeves and whole-body tattoos and things I was definitely not even close to being ready for. I went back to the book Max and I started with.

Most of the tattoos were not something I would be interested in, but I was surprised to find some that really stood out. "Ooh, I think I like this one," I said pointing at a tattoo of a bunny's head and ears wearing a little bowtie. "I don't think I'd want it on my neck, though…"

Chloe started laughing. Hard. She doubled over, nearly crying, leaving me utterly puzzled. It was then that Max whispered into my ear just why I didn't want _that_ particular tattoo. My face felt like it was on fire and I swear Chloe just started laughing louder.

"The fuck's going on in here?" a woman's voice called out as the door where the buzzing was opened. There stood a woman easily in her mid-twenties who was more tattoo than person. She wore a tank top and a pair of tight jeans. Every inch of visible skin below her chin seemed to be completely covered in ink. From the neck up she had at least a dozen piercings. Several in each ear, her lip, her eyebrow, even her nose. Topping off her look, a bright red hair that must've been dyed, with the sides buzzed almost bald and the rest held up in a ponytail.

"Hoh-lee shit," she muttered, a huge grin spreading over her face. Her brown eyes fixed on Chloe. "Izzat you, Price?"

Chloe chuckled. "Kind of surprised you remembered me," she said. "It's been a while, Trix."

"Trix?" Max repeated Chloe's last word.

Another laugh out of Chloe. "You think your parents gave you a shitty name? This chick's parents named her Beatrice."

"Say that name again and I'll throw your sorry asses outta here," Beatrice said, pointing at Chloe.

I shuffled a bit, feeling uncomfortable in front of this glowing being of self-expression. "Wh-what should we call you, then?"

Beatrice started counting on her fingers, "B, Trixie, Trix, and Ma'am. I'll let 'mistress' slide if you kink that way." She punctuated that last bit by sending a wink my way. I really, really did not know how to respond to that. I settled on hanging my head while trying my very hardest to stop blushing.

The tattoo girl didn't let silence settle in. "This your new arm candy?" Beatrice asked, thumbing in my direction.

Chloe responded by giving Max a hug from behind. "Actually, this little dork is my girlfriend."

That got a smirk out of Beatrice. "So Little Golden Cross here isn't spoken for then, eh?"

"What's the holdup?" a gruff voice sounded from behind Beatrice.

"Shit," Beatrice muttered as she glanced back over her shoulder. "It'll take me like ten minutes to finish this guy up, 'kay?"

"We got browsing to do, anyway," Chloe replied.

Beatrice retreated back into the room, closing the door behind her before that buzzing noise returned. Only then did I sigh, letting out a breath that I didn't even know I'd been holding. "She makes me kind of nervous."

"She talks a big game, but she just likes to flirt. She's married," Chloe said, going back to the binders.

While Chloe kept teasing Max, asking if she should get another sleeve and trying to convince Max to get a tattoo of her own, I stared at the wall of images. Much like the pictures in the binders, I found that most of the tattoos were not at all something I would be interested in. But there were some that stood out to me. A cross. Pretty flowers and vines, reminding me a little of Chloe's tattoo. Butterflies, birds, even some cute animals. Though I would have to be careful not to make another blunder. Who knew a bunny could be so… vulgar?

"Come check it out," Chloe said, rushing over to the counter with all the piercings and the register. Without a hint of hesitation, she jumped the counter and started rummaging around back there. "If you want to see the good shit…" Popping back up, she held out a notebook. "Knew she still had this."

Max and I walked up to the counter as Chloe opened the book, showing us sketches. They must've been freehand designs that Beatrice made. A lot of them were just patterns and such, but some were less abstract, and all of them really were quite detailed and creative. Most of them were fantasy-themed and didn't really strike my fancy, though Max seemed pretty interested. There were dragons, beasts, fairies, and the like. Nothing I would put on me forever, though.

After several sketches, the pages started turning up blank. "She's got more of these… somewhere," Chloe said as she set that one aside and started looking around behind the counter.

"Funny," Beatrice said as the sound of the door swinging open got our attention. "I don't remember telling you to make yourselves at home."

"I was just showing them the good shit," Chloe said, holding up the sketchbook. "Where's the rest?"

"Get the fuck out from behind the counter, Price," Beatrice ordered as she approached. From behind her, a man came out of the room.

Chloe had just hopped the counter again but froze when she saw the guy. "Shit. Frank?"

The big, scary guy muttered a response so quiet, I didn't catch it. He rubbed his neck as he looked away. My mind went wild wondering who this mystery guy might be. The name seemed familiar. Did Max tell me about him?

Both Chloe and Max gave the guy a wide berth to head over to the register, and I joined the duo. "Who's that guy?" I whispered.

"Used to be my dealer," Chloe replied, a hard edge to her tone I couldn't quite place. "He's the one that sold the drugs to Nathan that he used on you… on Rachel."

Suddenly, the air in the room felt much heavier. Why was it so hard to breathe? Even though Frank and Beatrice were talking as she rang him up, I couldn't hear anything over the sound of my heart in my ears. He turned to leave, casting a wary glance our way before walking for the door. I could see it in his eyes. Pain. Regret.

Odds were, I would never see this lost soul again. This man played a critical role in my darkest hour. This man whose sins led to the torture and death of an innocent girl. With a nod to reassure myself, I marched over, catching him by the wrist just before he made it to the door.

He turned to me, raising an eyebrow, though he said nothing.

"I… my name is Kate Marsh. I was drugged, violated, and driven to attempt suicide because of you," I said to him, using all of the strength in my heart to keep my voice even.

He still stayed silent, though I did see a deep sadness in his eyes as he looked down at me.

I placed my other hand on top of his in a reassuring gesture. "I can't speak for Rachel, but please know that I forgive you for your role in what happened. I pray that you repent and find solace in His light."

A tear slipped from his eye as he turned away and walked out without a word.

I breathed a ragged sigh in and out as I wished for him to find his penance.

"Girl, that was fucking hardcore," Beatrice said from behind the counter. She then turned her attention to Max and Chloe, both staring at me with bewildered looks on their faces. "He really have something to do with Rachel?"

"Fucker sold Nathan the drugs he killed her with," Chloe said, her voice wavering with suppressed anger.

"Shit," was Beatrice's simple reply. "But hey," she said, clearing her throat in an attempt to clear the air, "what brings ya back here? Wanna get another sleeve?"

Chloe thumbed over at me, keeping her other arm wrapped desperately around Max. It was good that she had Max's comfort and support. "Actually, Kate here was toying with the idea of a tattoo. Maybe something temporary to see how she likes it?"

"We can do that. What did you have in mind, Saint Kate?" Beatrice asked, flashing me a smile of bright, white teeth.

"I was thinking… maybe I should get something permanent?" I said, looking back over at the wall of designs. "There are a lot of them I like, but there is one I know I could never regret." My fingers found the chain around my neck. Tugging at it, I held up my cross.

"Classic and classy," Beatrice replied. "You're sure?"

I gave a firm nod. "Yes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that chapter was a little bit of a downer. The next chapter will focus a little more on Max & Chloe. After that, Kate finally gets back to Blackwell.


	4. Bunnies and Butterflies

The process of getting a tattoo turned out to be a lot more complex than I thought. We talked for almost half an hour about the specifics, and Beatrice pointed out the risks and really did everything to make sure I was confident that this was what I wanted. I settled on getting a cross the size of my palm on the inside of my forearm, a little bit up from my wrist so that I could completely cover it up if I ever needed to.

The actual inking took a little over an hour. It really hurt, but it was mesmerizing watching the image appear on my skin. And a little worrying seeing the blood. Most of the time, B reassured me and went over how to take care of the tattoo for the first couple of weeks. It seemed a little much, but she said she'd give me a handout and that she could sell me all the supplies I'd need to make sure it healed properly and didn't get infected.

After it was done, B led me out of the parlor and back into the main room. Chloe and Max were waiting for us back over by the counter. "The fuck, Chloe?" B said, her tone laced with mock anger. "I really don't remember hiring you!"

"Stop hiding the goods behind the counter and I won't have to be back here to get to it," Chloe bit back.

"Get out, or I will put your lazy ass to work," she ordered as she stepped back and over to the register.

"That a job offer?" Chloe asked, once more hopping the counter instead of walking around.

"You licensed?" B asked as she started punching in keys on the register.

Chloe held up her hands. "Fuck no."

"It's a felony to tat someone without a license, you know," B said. She slid a pamphlet my way. My aftercare instructions. She also produced a bottle of what I assumed was the same goop she put on my arm when she finished my tattoo. "Remember not to put too much on, and it'll keep oozing for a while. Watch your linens tonight."

"Right," I said.

"Okay, Kate. I was going to wait for a natural shot, but I can't wait anymore. Let us see!" Max said from right next to me. Her camera was in her hands and she was leaning over just a bit to try and get a peek at my arm.

"Right, sorry," I said, holding up my arm. The spot was covered with a dressing that B told me to wear for several hours.

Max was clearly disappointed, but Chloe just snickered. "You didn't know you're supposed to keep covered a while, huh?" Chloe patted Max's shoulder. "Get one of your own and you'll know all about 'em."

"You can show 'em, yanno," B said, hitting a few more keys on the register. "Just cover it back up, yeah?"

I peeled back the dressing to show the image. It was a stylized cross, with little flares at each end. The entire thing was actually little more than a detailed outline, leaving my untouched skin filling in the majority. "B said that if I was up for it, I could come back and she could fill it in and really make it 'pop,' but that would take a much longer session." I covered it back up.

As I paid for it, a much more expensive thing than I originally thought, B struck up a conversation with Max and Chloe. "So what about you two? Getting some ink of your own?"

"I'd love to, but I'm more than a little strapped for cash at the moment," Chloe said with a shrug. "Got a pretty good idea of what I want, though. Just gotta get the damn dough."

"I-I'm still not sure," Max admitted, rubbing her arm with a hand.

"Oh my fucking God, Max. _Kate Marsh_ just got a tattoo and you're still gonna wimp out me?" Chloe groused.

_I may have to dedicate all my prayers tonight to Chloe._

"Well, I did kind of like the clock one," Max muttered. She turned and glared at Chloe. "Not that I am committing to _anything_ , mind you."

"Clock?" B wrapped her fingers around her chin as she stared off. "I don't remember one like that."

"Chloe drew it," Max replied.

B and I both looked over at the sketchbook on the counter. Curiosity winning out, we both headed over and examined it. It was currently open to a drawing of a mangled car frame overgrown with decaying vines. The only spot of color other than black, grey, and brown was the presence of a single, blue flower blooming on the hood. I could tell right away by the rough style that this was not drawn by B.

"Holy Hell, Price," B muttered. "This shit is fucking great."

B flipped the page, showing the image Max must've been talking about. It was a boxy, mantlepiece clock in a stylized wooden frame. The whole thing was a bit distorted and warped, with red seeping out from the edge of the clock face. The red pooled, leading to twin trails bleeding down the wooden frame. Resting on top of the clock, the only thing not twisted and bent, was a blue butterfly. Though it may not have meant anything to most, I realized even the clock hands held a profound message: 10:07.

"Chloe… this is beautiful," I said, breathlessly.

"I drew one for you, too. Had to do something to kill time. Maxipad here still has hangups about making out in public," Chloe replied, slapping Max's shoulder.

Max leaned over, resting her head on Chloe's shoulder as she wrapped an arm around her waist. "Hey, I offered to go back to the truck."

"Fortune favors the bold, Max. And right now you're coming up more meek than Kate," Chloe said, draping an arm around Max's shoulders.

"That's not fair. Kate's been kind of a badass today," Max muttered, a slight whine in her tone.

"'Kind of' nothing." Chloe chuckled, looking into Max's eyes. "She's been a total badass."

B snorted. "The only one impressing me today is you, Price."

I turned back to the book as B turned the page again. My breath left my chest as I saw it. This one had to be the drawing for me. It was a bunny, sitting up on its hind legs. In its front paws, an oversized teacup with an intricate blue pattern wrapping around it. Well, given that it was a bunny, it would've been a regular teacup. The bunny was blowing on it, swirling the steam coming off the cup.

"It's so adorable!" I gushed.

"I call it: _Teatime in Wonderland_ ," Chloe said, a confident smile on her face. I heard the page flip, and I saw Chloe's smile slip away. "That, uh… that'll be the first one I get when I get the money."

I turned back to find a couple of blue feathers, curled up like they were floating down on a breeze. Below them, a caption in stylized, curvy letters. " _May my fallen angel soar again."_ Below that, was a name and two dates in a less flourished style. " _Rachel Amber, July 22nd, 1994 - April 22nd, 2013_."

I turned away, feeling like I saw something private that I shouldn't have.

"Fuck, Price…" B muttered. She cleared her throat, snapping the sketchbook closed. "Hey… if you're really serious, I could let you do an apprenticeship here." She held up the book. "This… is real fucking talent."

"What's the pay?" Chloe asked.

"Experience and the hours you need to sit for certification," B replied, stowing the book before crossing her arms over her chest. "That's how apprenticeship works. But, work for me and I'll give you all the ink you want, free of charge."

Chloe scoffed, "That's your best offer?"

"That's my only offer, Price," B replied. "But if you wanna come up with more sketches, I'll give you commission. Ten percent for anyone that gets one."

"I'll think it over," Chloe said. Then, Chloe turned to me. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," I replied. Turning back to B, I gave her a wave as I held up the little care bag. "And thank you for everything, B. It was really nice meeting you."

Chloe and Max said their goodbyes as well, and it didn't take long for us to pile back into Chloe's truck. "So, you going to take the job?" Max asked before Chloe even got the truck started.

"You know, it's hella boring waiting around all day for you to finish your classes," Chloe said as she started the truck.

"Some of us have to actually put in the work," Max said, pouting. "We can't all learn two years of high school in two months."

Chloe leaned over, bumping Max's shoulder with her own. "Don't pretend you're not proud of me getting my GED on the first try."

"I _am_ proud of you," Max said, her hand resting on Chloe's thigh. "And I think if you want this, you should go for it."

"Yeah, but I don't want any time away from you," Chloe replied. "I wouldn't be able to hang with you between classes or anything."

"I should probably be doing homework during that time, anyway. I barely kept my scholarship," Max said, "And then there's college I have to worry about, too. Have you seen my GPA?"

"Tch." Chloe cast a glance over at Max. "Like you're gonna rely on that shit. All you need is right there in your bag."

I put a hand on Max's shoulder. "I believe in you."

"Thanks," Max said, shying away from me. Even in the dim evening light, I could see the red on her face. It always puzzled me how the thing she seemed the most embarrassed by was anyone praising her genuine talent.

"All right. I think I'll do it," Chloe announced her decision. "If nothing else, I'll get some free ink and quit. Win fucking win."

Max rolled her eyes at that. "How about you, Kate? How are you feeling about your first tattoo?"

I gave Max a smile. "I think I'll feel better when it stops stinging so much," I said. When Max raised an eyebrow, I quickly added, "It's not that I regret it or anything. I just… I don't know. Maybe I thought it only hurt during the process?"

Chloe chuckled. "Just wait until it starts healing. Itches like a motherfucker."

"B warned me it might," I replied. "She said not to scratch it and don't pick at it when it scabs up."

"Yeah, that's a good way to fuck up your tat," Chloe replied.

"If your goal is to convince me to get a tattoo, you're doing a hella bad job," Max snarked at Chloe.

"Come on, _Just in Time_ was literally made for you."

Max gave a too loud, overly exaggerated sigh. "Fiiine, I'll think it over."

"Besides, now if you get it, _I_ get paid."

Max slapped Chloe's shoulder. "You _dog_!"

Chloe just laughed. "How about you, Kate?"

"Your bunny was very cute, but I think I'll wait to see how the rest of this experience goes, first," I said, holding up my bandaged arm.

"Fair enough," Chloe replied. "Now, how about we hit a drive-thru before I drop you ladies off at Blackhell?"

"Like I'm going to say 'no' to food," Max replied.

I agreed with her. "I could definitely eat. Today has been exhausting." With a smile, I turned back to my friends. "Thanks. Both of you. If you'd have told me this morning that this is how today would go—even if you just said I'd get a tattoo—I don't think I'd have believed you. It was such an adventure!"

"Come on Kate, you're really not gonna believe Max if she suddenly starts spouting crazy shit about the future?" Chloe said, throwing a knowing smile my way.

I giggled at that. "Okay, I would. But you know what I meant."

"Trust me, my days of messing with time are over," Max said.

"Tch," Chloe scoffed. "I still say you should've gone back and locked the damn door."

Max groaned. "We agreed to _not_ speak of that fiasco again!"

I just smiled as I watched the two of them. They really were an inspiration. I may have found it in my heart to come out of my shell today and express myself in ways I'd never imagined, but it was all superficial. As special as it made me feel, it wasn't the sort of special those two had.

I glanced down at the gauze on my arm, my multicolored nails catching my eye as well.

_Clothes and makeup give you power and confidence, huh?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kate has ink! Sorry that this chapter was a little focused on things other than Kate. On the bright side, the next chapter is all Kate and Victoria.


	5. Opening

When Max and I got back to the dorms, we had to rush to our rooms to make curfew. I was in such a hurry, that I nearly tripped over an enormous basket in front of my door. It bewildered me, and in the end, I just dragged it inside. Once the door was secure behind me, I knelt down and got a good look at it.

It was a gift basket. Attached to the cellophane keeping everything inside was a red ribbon with a tag. I turned it over to find a handwritten message.

_To Kate,_

_Wishing you love and support. May this help you find your true self and inner happiness._

_—Your friends_

The words warmed my heart, though I wondered briefly just who the basket was from. Slipping the ribbon free, I started going through the contents. Eight colors of nail polish and polish remover. Permanent hair dye in pink, green, and red, as well as a kit to restore it back to its natural color. Lip balm and lipstick in red, pink, green, and black. Even eyeliners and some other makeup essentials.

The tag said "your friends" instead of "your friend," so my best guess was that this was courtesy of Victoria, Taylor, and Courtney. It was too much for me to accept, but it wasn't like I could just return it, either. They would refuse at best and pretend they didn't get it for me at worst. Resigning, I started putting everything up.

Sure enough, halfway through getting everything put away, a knock sounded at my door as Blackwell security checked in. I asserted my presence, letting him know that I was accounted for and did not miss curfew. After putting the rest away, I started to wonder what I should do next. Usually, I went to bed early so that I could wake up early, but it was too soon still to take off my dressing and get a shower. I would need to occupy myself for a couple of hours.

I fed and played with Alice for a good fifteen minutes. Then, I checked in on my social media page. There were a lot of messages about my new look, and a lot of people seemed rather interested. It made me wonder if I should take a picture to upload it, but decided better of it. Rumors were probably better than the truth. After all, everyone at my church and my whole family would be able to see it if I put a picture up. Maybe after the weekend.

All in all, I used up all of half an hour of the two hours I needed to get through before I could even shower. It was going to be a long evening. My eyes fell on the now-empty basket, and a wonderful idea settled in my mind. I didn't know who all gave me the thoughtful gift, but I knew one person who had to be at least partially responsible.

I poked my head out into the hall before creeping over next door. It was late for me, but I knew that most of the girls would still be up. I knocked on Victoria's door, half-expecting her to yell at me for bothering her. Instead, I was only met with silence. Just as I was about to knock again, the door opened as Victoria peeked out at me. A cold glare met me, but then those perfect features softened as she gave me an inquisitive look.

Smiling at her, I gave her a little wave. "Like the new look?" I asked.

She smiled back at me, opening the door fully. "Can't say I really care for the whole punk look, but I have to say I like it better on you than that blue-haired bitch." I couldn't help but feel a deep pang of disappointment. Victoria stepped aside, inviting me in. "It really does look good on you, though."

Just like that, those negative feelings swept away, replaced by a fuzzy warmth in my chest. "Th-thank you, Victoria."

Victoria stopped me, grabbing my shoulder as I passed. "Katie, are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern and a touch of anger. Her hand caught the outside of my wrist, gentle but firm, pulling my arm around so that my dressing was facing up. "Did something happen?"

I smiled. "Chloe happened," I said, doing my best to suppress a giggle.

An audible growl left Victoria's throat. Her features shifted as a terrible rage flashed through her eyes. "I'll fucking kill that bitch!" She turned to the door and swung it open.

_Oh no!_

"No, no!" I said, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. "I gave you the wrong impression. I'm sorry!" When I was sure she wasn't about to storm off into the night, I let go and reached for the tape securing the dressing. "Here. Look." I peeled back the dressing, showing Victoria my new tattoo.

Her eyes went wide as her mouth fell open. "Oh my God, Katie!" Again, her hand latched onto my wrist, though much gentler this time. Her other hand wrapped around my forearm as her thumb traced a feather-light touch just outside the lines of the tattoo. "A tattoo! You?"

"I was feeling really bold," I said, a heat rushing up to my face. "It still kind of stings." Victoria let go, and my arm felt the cold absence of her touch. I replaced the dressing, taking care not to press on the still-tender areas.

"Do you like it?" I asked. Though I know that the decision had already been made, I still found myself seeking validation that it wasn't going to become something I would regret. For some reason, I knew in my heart that if Victoria approved, then all would be well.

"Please, please, please tell me you didn't let that pothead Price draw that on you," Victoria replied, shutting her door.

My heart sank. She didn't approve. "Uh, no," I muttered. "She took me to the parlor where she got her tattoo."

Victoria sighed before stepping away and into her room. "Good. A tattoo can be dangerous, you know."

"I know," I replied, following after her. She sat down in her desk chair and motioned for me to sit on her couch, to which I obliged. "B told me all about the risks before she would let me get it."

Victoria stared at me. She blinked. And again. "Pins and Needles?"

"You have a tattoo, too?" I asked. The words left my mouth a moment before I realized I was being rude. "Oh, and yes. That's where we went."

"Taylor wanted one and Courtney said that place was the highest-rated parlor in Arcadia Bay. I took her there. She got one, but I'm not allowed." She shook her head, holding up her hands. "My parents have certain… expectations of me. It's not that I don't want one, just that I need to pick my battles." She gave me a wry smile. "I kind of wish I had your courage. Even if I just dressed up like that they'd threaten to yank my trust fund."

I picked at the hem of the jean skirt as if just tugging on it could make it longer. "You want to dress like this?" I thought about offering to let her try on the clothes Chloe let me borrow, but thought better of it. Her tall, slender physique would have an easier time fitting into the ones that were too long and tight on me. Just the thought of what she might look like sent a warm pulse through my stomach.

Victoria pointed a condescending finger at me. "I wouldn't be caught dead looking like that. Your shoes don't even match."

"And if they did?" I challenged.

Another smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. She looked… sad. "I have an image to maintain, Katie. We can't all just do as we please." That was just a convoluted way to say, " _Yes, but I'm too scared to try_."

"Are you afraid of what everyone here will think, or your parents?"

Victoria scoffed. "You just don't get it. I'm not like you or Max." She turned, leaning both arms on her desk so her back was to me. "You're real adults. Sure, you want your parents' love and support, but you don't _need_ it. You can go and live your carefree fucking lives without them."

I frowned back at her. "Victoria. You are smart, and talented, and so strong. You don't need your parents or their money."

"Maybe… need is a strong word." Victoria sighed. "But as long as I play along with their song and dance, I don't ever have to worry about money. College, my car, my clothes, cameras, and makeup, everything everyone else has to worry about, I don't. Instead, I just have to live by their rules until they're dead."

I shuffled in my seat, looking down at my bandaged arm. My tattoo cost me a lot. For Victoria, the same thing would cost more money than I would ever make in my whole life. "That sounds… just awful."

Victoria turned back to me, her green eyes shimmering. "You have no idea. I feel like such a cowardly, sellout bitch." She shook her head, fingers swiping at her eyes to chase away tears that threatened her flawless makeup. "Not even that. Just a fucking whore, dancing for her parents' money because she knows she doesn't have what it takes to stand on her own."

"I don't believe that!" I refuted her awful analogy. "I know you have enough talent, enough determination! You would do just fine on your own." I shook my head. "You would do fantastic."

"What would you do, Kate?" she asked me, frowning as she propped an elbow on her desk and rested her head on her hand. "If you got a big, fat check every month so long as you did as your parents told you, like a good little girl. Would you take the money or the independence?"

I tilted my head just a bit to hold Victoria's gaze. "I would take the money until they asked me to do something I just couldn't abide… so, independence, I guess."

Victoria snorted. "I keep telling myself that I'll just keep taking the money until I can stand on my own. But I don't know that I would ever really give it up. It's like a goddamn addiction."

"Language!" I hissed at her. She just rolled her eyes. "Anyway, do you really think they'll just leave you out in the cold?"

"You have no idea," Victoria replied. "Ever since I turned eighteen and started drawing on it, my parents have cut me off completely. On my birthday, they took back their credit cards and put my car and its insurance on my account. Even school expenses are my responsibility, now." Her neck twisted a bit, her gaze trailing out her window. "Granted, the trust pays me every month, and it more than covers everything. But without it…"

"That's not what I'm talking about," I said. A tense quiet settled in before Victoria looked back at me. "It's heavy-handed for sure, but your parents are just trying to influence your life. To make sure you do make the right decisions. Or, what they feel is right."

"Your point?" Victoria spat.

I closed my eyes, hiding away from her intense stare. "Would they really give up the biggest thing that can influence you?"

Victoria gave a little scoff at that. "You're telling me I should play chicken with my parents?" Her lips curled into a wry smile. "What a little rebel."

I held up my hands. "That's just what I would do. You are your own person, and your circumstances are your own." Lowering my hands, I looked back up and into those sharp, emerald eyes. I felt my heart speed up as I spoke with all the conviction I could muster, "I do believe you have everything it takes to live a fulfilling life without your parents' money, though."

For a moment, I held her stare and felt a serene bond. But just as quickly as that softness appeared, her gaze again turned predatory. "And what makes your circumstances so different?"

"Well… I…" I sighed, focusing my attention on the bandage on my arm, toying with the tape. "Did I ever tell you that parents had an arranged marriage?"

Victoria frowned. "No."

"My parents… well, mostly my mother, think that because it worked out for them, I should have one as well," I explained. "Mother and Auntie already have my husband picked out."

Victoria laughed at that. Just a little chuckle, but a genuine, melodic laugh that lifted my heart. "Are you serious? In this day and age?"

"Actually, arranged marriages aren't that uncommon," I found myself repeating the same line my mother fed me a thousand times. "I… I'm not going through with it, though. I already told them that several times over the break, though that didn't stop them from constantly inviting him over."

"So… you're not interested in him?" Victoria asked, her emerald eyes boring into me.

I shook my head. "He's a very nice boy, don't get me wrong, but I don't have any feelings for him like that."

Victoria smiled at that, and again her eyes softened. "I take it your mother doesn't care about your feelings. I certainly know _that_ feels."

I nodded. "I'm just lucky he hasn't turned eighteen, yet. As soon as that happens…"

_Oh, no!_

Shooting to my feet, my hands went to my head as my heart raced in my chest. "His birthday is right after the new year! He _did_ just turn eighteen!"

My panicked pacing was halted by a firm hand on my shoulder. "Katie?" Victoria asked, looking down at me. In her gaze, I found a genuine concern that helped to ease the fear in my heart. "Are you okay?"

"No!" I said, giving my head a shake. "Mother and Auntie aren't just coming to check up on me. They're going to try to force me into marrying Abraham!"

"So?" Victoria asked, moving her other hand to rest on my other shoulder. "Weren't you just telling me that you'd give up a trust fund to tell them off about this?" Just like that, we stood face to face, mere inches from each other.

I looked up, for a moment getting lost the boundless, verdant fields that were Victoria's eyes. It wasn't until I felt a hand brush my cheek that I crashed back to reality. I gasped, feeling my heart thrum in my chest. "Oh! I… uh…" My mind scrambled, trying to catch up to reality.

"Are you all right?" Victoria asked. A worried expression graced her flawless features, one that I hadn't seen since she came to apologize to me after my suicide attempt.

An uncomfortable heat spread from my chest to my face. "I-I just spaced, for a minute," I said, praying that it was just a minute.

"You're really freaking out about this arranged marriage thing, huh?" Victoria asked, taking a step back and placing a hand on her hip as it pitched out just a bit.

I hugged myself, my tattoo stinging as it brushed up against my arm. "I've had arguments with my parents before, but this one…" My head shook as I sighed. "This is going to be so difficult for me."

"They might call the whole thing off, seeing your little date," Victoria said with a smirk. "It'd be the first good thing that blue-haired bitch's ever done."

"Actually," I said, rubbing my arms with my hands, "we sort of called that off. Max thought Chloe was getting a little too familiar with me, and I thought my new look would be enough. I didn't realize…" A long sigh did little to ease the pressure in my chest. "What if they bring Abraham with them?"

For a long moment, Victoria just stared back at me, her expression blank with practiced ease. "Would it make you feel better if you had another fake date? I'm sure we could scare someone up for you."

I nodded. "I really think it would. It might help everything go easier. I… I think I know what I need to say to them, and it would mean the world to me to have such a good friend there with me." I looked up at Victoria as I clasped my hands together.

Her mask slipped away, her eyes widening just a bit as her lips parted. "M-me?" Victoria pressed her slender fingers to her collarbone.

My heart sunk as I looked down. "O-oh. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that," I said, my guts twisting as embarrassment and dread seized my heart. "F-forget I said anything." I turned and headed for the door. Throwing it open, I headed out into the hall. I thought I heard Victoria say something, but I couldn't make it out over the sound of my racing heartbeat in my ears. I all but ran into my room, shutting the door behind me.

Inside, I tripped and crashed painfully to the ground. It took me much longer than it should have to muster the energy and drive to push myself off the floor. I looked back, wondering just what happened. There it was. The now-empty gift basket.

It was the whole reason I went over to talk to Victoria, and it never even came up. Instead, we had the longest conversation I could remember since her sincere apology to me in October. For a moment, it was like we were really bonding. But then I had to go and ask her something so personal, something I knew she wouldn't be comfortable with. I might as well have asked her to kiss me on the spot.

"So stupid," I muttered to myself as I picked up the basket, resting it on my little table so that I wouldn't trip over it again. I still had to thank her. Though, now I had to apologize to her as well and pray that she didn't hate me.

With little else to do, I sat down on my little sofa, and I picked at the tape on the bandage. It was close to time for it to come off anyway. And all I wanted to do at this point was to take a shower and go to bed. I pulled the bandage free, letting the tattoo breathe. The skin all around the ink was red. It worried me a little, even though B told me this was normal. I didn't dare touch it, so I took a deep breath and blew on it. It seemed to soothe the angry skin if just a bit.

I drew another deep breath to repeat it, but a knock at the door pulled my attention away. "Yes?" I called out, the rest of my breath coming out in a sigh.

Instead of a reply, the door swung open, and Victoria stepped in. She closed the door behind her before those piercing green eyes found me. A little smile touched her lips. "I still can't believe that you, of all people, got a tattoo."

I smiled a bit at that. "I was really feeling brave. It never occurred to me how dangerous an outfit can be, filling me with courage and strength. Maybe I went too far?"

It startled me, the look Victoria gave me as she said, "Never." She then took a measured sigh, her shoulders rising and falling in a perfectly practiced motion. "I really think it suits you, Katie. I'm proud of you."

I laughed at that, her praising me like a child that did something terribly ordinary for the first time. Pulling my loose hair from my face, I looked back over at her. "I'm glad you're not mad at me," I said. "We, uh… we're not talking about my tattoo, are we?"

Victoria's head tilted slightly, that playful smile touching her pink lips once more. "We could be talking about that, too." She punctuated her sentence with a wink.

That little twitch of an eye was all it took to make my heart skip a beat and ignite a bonfire in my chest. "S-so does this mean that I can count on you to be my pretend girlfriend this weekend?"

A little scoff and Victoria turned on her heel, headed for the exit. She placed a hand on the handle before looking back over her shoulder at me. "Only if the position for actual girlfriend isn't available."

Before the words could even sink in, Victoria was gone, and I was alone once more in my dorm room. "What?" I said to no one, my heart racing faster and faster as her words sunk in. Shooting off of my sofa, I paced back and forth in the tiny space my room would allow. The action did little to quell the nervous, excited energy coursing through me.

Victoria Chase just asked me out.

It took everything in me not to let out a squeal. "Oh, Alice!" I said in a lilting voice as I threw myself on her cage. "Why did I never try any of this sooner!"

Letting out a contented sigh, I turned back, only to have my eyes fall on the empty gift basket once more. I forgot to thank Victoria. Again. A little giggle escaped my lips at the absurdity of it. That grew into a full-blown fit of laughter over the absurdity of it all.

* * *

[ ](https://blusthings.tumblr.com/post/624178237972545536/message-me-if-youre-interested-things-i-will)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Feelings were shared, even if it was kind of awkward.
> 
> The pic comes courtesy of [Blu](https://blusthings.tumblr.com/post/624178237972545536/message-me-if-youre-interested-things-i-will). And a bit of thanks should also go to [Rainboq](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainboq/pseuds/Rainboq) for pointing me in the right direction.
> 
> In any case, let me know what you think in the comments!


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